If the Hope College men's basketball team is going to fulfill preseason predictions of an MIAA championship, the Dutchmen will have to do it without last year's leading scorer.

Senior guard Peter Bunn will not return to the team this season, the Hope athletic department said in a release Friday.

Hope coach Matt Neil said prior to the team's 86-80 win over Malone University on Thursday in the finals of the Russ Devette Holiday Classic that Bunn suffered an undisclosed non-basketball injury a year ago and he was still "suffering repercussions from it."

Hope's statement Friday said Bunn and the coaching staff have "agreed that he will not participate during the 2010-11 season with the goal of coming back to play next fall."

Bunn will remain a student at Hope.

The release also said, "All parties have determined that a season without basketball would be in his best interest."

The Bunn family supports the decision, the release said.

"Whenever an injury causes side effects, many variables have to be evaluated, requiring a lengthy period and process," the school said.

A 6-2 senior from Lansing Christian, Bunn led the team in several offensive categories a year ago, including averaging 16 points per game while averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game. He was also Hope's leading 3-point shooter as a junior, hitting 36 shots. Bunn led the team with 45 steals and also averaged 4.5 rebounds per game.

Thinking Bunn would return to the team this season, MIAA coaches voted Hope as the preseason favorite to win the conference.

Hope has started the season 7-4 after winning the Russ DeVette tournament for a sixth consecutive time on Thursday. The Dutchmen open their MIAA season next Wednesday in hosting rival Calvin, part of a tough conference schedule in the first two weeks of the season.